From Hangry to Hormone Harmony: How Stabilizing Insulin Can Improve Your Mood, Sleep, and Sex Drive
- drbrennasquires
- May 19
- 3 min read
Have you ever felt like a different person when you're hungry? One minute you're calm, and the next you're snapping at your spouse, crying over a commercial, or completely checked out emotionally. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone—and you're definitely not broken.
As a psychologist and fertility coach who has walked the long, exhausting road of hormone imbalance and infertility myself, I know firsthand how blood sugar swings can impact far more than your energy or waistline. They can hijack your mood, sleep, libido, and hope—especially when you're already dealing with the weight of infertility.
The truth is, unstable insulin levels might be silently sabotaging your hormone balance, and you don’t need a diabetes diagnosis for it to affect you.
Let’s explore how insulin resistance impacts your hormones—and what you can start doing today to move from "hangry" to hormone harmony.
Insulin 101: Why It Matters (Even if You’ve Never Been Diagnosed With Diabetes)
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps move sugar (glucose) from your blood into your cells for energy. When your body becomes less sensitive to insulin—known as insulin resistance—you need more and more of it to get the same job done.
And here’s where things get tricky for your hormones: excess insulin isn’t just about blood sugar. It’s also a major hormonal disruptor that:
Increases inflammation
Stimulates androgens (like testosterone)
Disrupts ovulation
Lowers progesterone
Triggers blood sugar crashes that spike cortisol (your stress hormone)
This sets off a domino effect, especially if you're already dealing with fertility issues or underlying conditions like PCOS, thyroid issues, or burnout.
Mood Swings, Anxiety, and the Cortisol Connection
Ever noticed how anxiety ramps up when you haven’t eaten in a while? Or how your mood tanks after a sugary snack?
Here’s why: when your blood sugar crashes, your body releases cortisol and adrenaline to bring it back up. These stress hormones don’t just mess with your mood—they throw off your thyroid, progesterone, and estrogen too.
This can show up as:
Irritability or emotional outbursts
Racing thoughts or anxiety at night
Feeling “wired but tired”
Difficulty focusing or feeling emotionally flat
Sleep Struggles and the Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
Blood sugar instability also affects melatonin, your sleep hormone. If your glucose dips too low at night, your body may jolt you awake with a cortisol surge—leaving you staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.
Insulin resistance has also been linked to:
Trouble falling asleep
Waking multiple times a night
Feeling groggy even after 8 hours of rest
Better sleep starts with balanced blood sugar during the day. And better sleep? That leads to better hormone regulation.
Sex Drive and Sugar Crashes: What’s Really Going On
Low libido is a complex issue, but here’s what many people don’t realize: insulin resistance contributes to low sex drive by affecting testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol.
You might feel:
Exhausted and uninterested in intimacy
Disconnected from your body
Frustrated by hormone-related dryness or pain
When your body is constantly in survival mode from blood sugar crashes, it’s not going to prioritize sex or reproduction—it’s trying to survive
How to Support Insulin and Hormone Balance Naturally
The good news? You don’t need a crash diet or 6-hour workouts to improve insulin sensitivity. Here are simple, hormone-friendly shifts you can start with:
1. Eat Balanced Meals
Focus on protein, fat, and fiber at every meal.
Pair carbs with protein to prevent spikes.
Don’t skip meals—especially breakfast.
2. Reduce Added Sugar (But Don’t Fear Carbs)
Cut down on sweetened drinks and processed snacks.
Enjoy slow carbs like sweet potatoes, berries, and legumes.
3. Move Your Body Gently and Consistently
Walking after meals improves glucose regulation.
Avoid over-exercising, which can spike cortisol and worsen insulin resistance.
4. Manage Stress With Intention calm your nervous system and help insulin work better. A few ideas include:
Deep breathing
Prayer
Journaling
Walks in nature
5. Consider Targeted Supplements to support blood sugar balance. *Always talk with a practitioner first.*
Inositol
Magnesium glycinate
Berberine
You’re Not Lazy. Your Hormones Are Asking for Help.
If you’re feeling moody, exhausted, low in libido, or stuck in the monthly emotional rollercoaster, it’s not just in your head—and it’s not a character flaw.
It could be insulin resistance quietly throwing your hormones off.
The empowering news? Your body is incredibly wise. It just needs the right support. When you stabilize blood sugar and lower inflammation, you create space for your mood to lift, your sleep to improve, and your hope to return.
💛 Need More Support?
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